


if we make it out alive (from the depths of the sea)

by LizMikaelson, saltziepark



Series: compass (points you home) [1]
Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, mention of other josie relationships, pining insufferable idiots, please pretend everyone is over eighteen, they're so dumb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:14:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29960097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizMikaelson/pseuds/LizMikaelson, https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltziepark/pseuds/saltziepark
Summary: Josie tries to move on.It goes about as well as expected.Maybe worse.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Series: compass (points you home) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2203539
Comments: 16
Kudos: 140





	if we make it out alive (from the depths of the sea)

She’s forgotten how good it feels to kiss someone properly. She’d been drunk on dark magic last time she’d kissed Jade, Landon had certainly never excelled in this department, and Penelope’s been gone for over a year. 

And Jade — Jade kisses her in a way that makes Josie forget about the world around them, that makes the troubles and the ups and the downs of the last week seem irrelevant. 

And yet —

Jade goes down on her until her mind is blank, blessedly free of thoughts of the darkness, Alyssa and what she did to her, the Necromancer, Landon, Malivore, and finally free of Hope. 

Josie flips them over as soon as she comes, driving two fingers inside of Jade and buries her face against the curve of her neck. Just for a second, she imagines the smell of coffee and the woods instead of vanilla and lemongrass. 

Jade gasps her name and reality comes rushing back. It always does. 

She sleeps with Jade three more times before she leaves and it’s not everything, but it’s also not nothing, and perhaps that is the kind of balance Josie could get used to. 

They say goodbye outside, Jade’s Lyft already pulled up, and Josie kisses her. It’s slow and languid and definitely a bit improper right in front of the school, but she can’t bring herself to care anymore. She’s wrapped in Jade’s leather jacket and she tugs at it. “I should give this back,” she says, and Jade shakes her head. 

“Keep it,” the blonde says, her eyes roaming hungrily up and down Josie’s body. “You need the extra armour more than I do.”

She doesn’t know if Jade is referring to the monster, to Malivore, or something else entirely. Jade kisses her again, almost tenderly, and Josie smiles against her lips. “You’re gonna be amazing,” she whispers, a seam opening in her heart at Jade’s departure, even if she knows it’s been almost a year since it belonged to someone the way it’s always belonged to one person. 

“You already are,” Jade replies, “Bye, Josie. I’ll see you, yeah?”

She watches the car pull away, sucking in her lower lip and scuffing the sole of her shoe on the asphalt. 

The car’s long gone by the time she turns around and sees Hope standing there, looking moody and mysterious and so perfectly Hope Mikaelson. But it makes for a change. Hope’s been excellent at avoiding her recently. 

“Are you going to be okay?” Hope asks, like —like she actually— Josie feels immeasurably tired, all of a sudden. 

“Jade was never going to be the one to break my heart, Hope,” she says, and pulls the leather jacket tighter around herself and leaves Hope standing there, just this once. She isn’t sure she actually has the strength to walk away until she does, smelling coffee and the woods.

* * *

She tries with Finch. She really does. It’s — it is what it is. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Hope shows up at the school after Josie’s first month there. They lean against the wall outside the auditorium while Josie should be in class learning Calculus. 

“Are you dating that girl?” Hope asks her, eyes unfocused and staring out at the track team doing hurdles. 

Josie shrugs and doesn’t answer. Because she doesn’t really have an answer. “How’s Landon?” she asks and watches Hope’s expression tighten. Two can definitely play at this game. 

“That’s not why I’m here.” 

“Then why are you here?” 

“When are you coming back?”

“When I’m ready.”

“Lizzie misses you.” Low blow, Hope. 

“I talk to Lizzie twice a day.”

“What do you want me to say, Jo?” Hope’s voice is higher and she’s angry. Good, Josie is too. 

She exhales sharply, looks as the last runner on the track speeds up, surpassing the one before her. “Something honest.”

“The school’s not the same without you.”

It’s not the whole story, not even half. Just a fact. Josie looks ahead, watches the sprinter overtake the others. Last one out, first one in. “I’ll be back, Hope. Eventually.”

* * *

Finch takes her to a party at the edge of town. One of the boys asks, “why’d you bring Miss Goody Two Shoes?” Josie takes the joint out of his hands, blows circles straight back at him when she exhales. 

Penelope had taught her a lot, back before —

The boy whistles, impressed, and Finch and the others cheer and all Josie sees are golden eyes, glittering from the woods. 

She steals away as soon as she can, walks into the depth of the trees after telling Finch that she really really had to go to the bathroom. “I know it’s you,” she says into the darkness, twirling her arms around and looking at all of the trees. 

Hope, to her credit, doesn’t even try to hide, just steps out, towards Josie. She’s dressed all in black and her tank top dips dangerously low on her chest. Not that Josie notices. “Hi, Jo.”

“ _Hi_ ? _Hi, Jo?_ Why are you stalking me?”

“You don’t know these people. I’m just making sure you’re safe.” Hope nearly growls as she says and Josie just shakes her head, muttering something about wolves and territory. 

“I don’t need you to take care of me, Hope.”

“You don’t even have your magic!”

“Good, then I won’t kill any of them and try to take over the school.” 

“Self pity isn’t a good color, Josie. Even on you.” They’re inches apart and Josie feels her body vibrating, tense, burning, overheated. 

“Yeah, well, learned from the best. Oh wait, you’re all about self-loathing, how could I forget?” Josie pauses, taking a breath because her heart was racing and Hope could probably hear it. “Why are you here, Hope? A real answer, this time.” 

“I miss you,” Hope admits.

It’s not enough. It’s not what Josie wants to hear, and yet — “Go home, Hope,” she says, “I can take care of myself.”

Hope acquiesces with a quiet little nod and Josie walks back to the party. Her breathing sounds sharp even to her own ears. 

Finch kisses her on the cheek. “Hi, babe. Did ya get lost?” 

Josie feels nothing except tiredness. 

The next day, she calls Lizzie when she’s in between classes, because she can’t wait any longer. “I think it’s time I came home.” She’s done running from things she can’t escape from. 

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi on twitter @blckmaqic and at @liz_mikaelson
> 
> comments are much appreciated and will be rewarded with virtual cookies


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